Compression-mold for boneless ham.



M. 1. Mc CRACKEN.

COMPRESSION MOLD FOR BONELESS HAM.

"AP ucAnoN FILED Au.e.3|. 1914.

Patented May18,1915.

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WITNESSES: k INVENTOR BY 1% Wm ATTOR/VEY MELVIN J. MeoiaAoKEN, or KENT, OHIO.

ooMrnEssIon-iiaeitn roe. BONELESS HAM.

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, Application filed August 31, 191;. sria'rnaswesa T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELVIN J. Mo- CRAGKEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kent, in the county of Portage and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compression-Molds for Boneless Ham, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to a compression mold for boneless ham, all substantially as shown and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mold and Fig. 2

is an enlarged side elevation of the middle portion thereof, the ends being broken off. Fig. 3 is a cross section at the middle showing the tightening lever in position to further contract the mold. Fig. l is a detail view of the tightening lever and Fig. 5, a perspective View of the bracket and keeper. The device as thus shown consists of a sheet metal tube T made out of a single piece of a suitable metal and bent to. cylindrical form and having overlapped edges its full length, the size being such as to receive a boned ham inserted in the end thereof, and then compressed to a solid cylindrical shape and boiled and cooled before removal. It is planned to have said tube large enough to take the largest sizes of hams and capable of contraction so as also to receive and compress the smallest ones, and to this end as well as to facilitate uniform compression, the outer or over-lapping portion at the ends has comparatively long slots 2 circumferentially which are engaged by rivets fixed in the inner fold of the plate and having shanks long enough to accommodate the outer fold in or through the said slots 2.

Compression and clamping are effected by means of a sheet metal strap 8, pivotally secured to the tube and curved between its ends to the segment of a circle corresponding substantially to the curvature of the tube or cylinder in its more or less contracted state, so as to lie upon said tube about as shown whether tight or loose. A bracket is riveted to the outer fold of the tube at its middle, some distance back from its edge and has opposite fiat sides standing out from the tube at right angles, and a bail or keeper 5 is pivoted in said sides or ears and adapted to engage or hook on the teeth or projections 4 at intervals on the back of said strap.

Specification of. Letters Eatent.

Patented May 18, 1911-5.

Thesaid bail is made of suitably heavy wire andserves to hold the contractions of the tube as they are made progressively until the desired limit is reached and according to the size of the ham.

To clamp the tube or cylinder on the ham,

I employ a specially made lever 7, having an open heavy fulcrum Wire link 8 pivotally connected with its lower end and having its ends bent at right angles to engage in the open slots 9 in the sides of bracket 7). This link is of strong spring metal so that it will not pull out of said slots under strain. The engaging end of said lever is shown as somewhat broadened and sharpened to make sure the hold or grip on the teeth 4, and there is suiiicient leverage or throw to carry the bail 5 from one tooth to the other. The said bail then holds till a further compression is made and so on, to the end.

I have found that the slotted connections in the overlapped ends are indispensable to the binding action about the middle and that Without said slots and the rivet connections, one end is liable to bind or contract more closely than the other, especially if the contents are unevenly distributed. But with said slots and rivets the contraction must be even Wherever the greater resistance may be in the contents. There is, therefore, a mutually dependent working relation between the binding mechanism at the middle and the guiding and confining mechanism at the ends.

When the contents of the cylinder have .fromsaid strap and adapted to engage at intervals on the back of said strap.

2. A ham compressing and molding cylinder formed in a single piece of sheet metal and having one edge lapped beneath the other and one of said laps having circumferential slots and the other headed rivets engaged in said slots, a curved strap pivoted on one side and a bracket fixed on the other side of said cylinder on op osite sides of said edges, the said strap] aving projections at intervals on its back, and'a keeper of loop form ivoted in said bracketand' adapted to Ice on said projections.

3. A device as described havin a sheet metal cylinder with free edges sli ably connected to compensate for contraction and expansion of the cylinder, a bracket on one side of the said edges havin parallel sides and a strap pivote on the ot er side of the said edges having teeth at intervals and 0.

'keepe'r pivoted on said bracket adapted to 15 engage on the teeth on said stra the sides of the said bracket having open ots at their rear and means to clamp said cylinder on itscontents having a fulcrum member e in said slots and a lever on which sa id 1 1 20 crum member is pivoted, adapted to engage saidteeth to efiect clam in In testimon whereof faifx my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

MELVIN J. MGCRACKEN. Witnesses: I

F. J. Gamma, H. T. FISHER. 

